Something Worth Fighting For
by Tango Eight
Summary: Tony and Rivkin's fight has a different outcome when Ziva doesn't show up when she did and Tony can't reach his gun. Set during episode Semper Fidelis.
1. Calm Before The Storm

A/N: Here is a new story. I know I should be working on Road to nowhere, and I am, but this idea has been stuck in my head for a while now so I am just going to write it. I hope you enjoy this new story!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS. Some of the dialogue is taken directly from the episode Semper Fidelis; I do not claim to own this either.

Chapter One- Calm before the Storm

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo had been right! Michael Rivkin was manipulating Ziva; and now all he could think about was warning her. He had to save her, from herself and from her highly unstable boyfriend. He knew she was blinded to what was actually happening, and he also knew he could help her if he could just talk to her. Not only that but he also had to question her about all of the evidence they were finding that pointed to her.

He made it to her apartment in record time and even double parked but he didn't care; he desperately hoped he could get her to believe him, to trust him enough to see that things were not at all what they appeared. She knew exactly what they wanted her to know.

As soon as Tony reached Ziva's door he stood there for a moment. He wasn't sure how he was going to do this so she would believe him. He hoped that the bond they shared would be enough; that their friendship could help her see that he was only trying to help, to save her, and he wasn't just jealous which he sometimes feared she only believed. Sometimes he actually believed it himself.

Tony took a deep breath and then knocked on the white door in front of him.

"Ziva," Tony called, "its Tony." He only had to wait a second before the door started to open. _Here it goes, _Tony thought to himself. As soon as the door was open enough for Tony to get a good look at who had answered he was shocked to not find Ziva looking back at him, but Rivkin. They glared at each other for a moment before Tony finally broke the silence.

"You're here." Tony said flatly.

"Ziva's not." Rivkin answered. Something wasn't right; Tony could feel it in his gut.

"She'll be back soon." He added. "You're welcome to come in and wait for her." He said motioning with his hand that held a glass of amber liquid for him to enter Ziva's apartment and wait for her. He didn't trust this man in front of him but he now knew he had to arrest this man. He followed Rivkin into the apartment.

"You really expect me to leave her because you threatened me?" Rivkin asked as Tony shut the door behind him.

"I had my hopes."

"They include you coming here late at night, maybe finding Ziva in an emotional state. You help her pick up the pieces." Rivkin asked with a smirk before taking another drink.

"I'm here about a case." Tony answered. "An American agent was killed last night. All of the evidence leads to a terrorist named Abin Tabal. I think you're familiar with him." Rivkin turned around and glared at Tony.

"Of course," Tony continued, "He killed himself before we could catch up to him."

"Jealous?" Rivkin asked seemingly amused.

"That's the theory." Tony said with a short laugh. "It's a little too clean for me."

"It doesn't seem clean at all. It seems the more you dig the messier it gets."

"Well, what can I say?" Tony said as he started walking towards Rivkin. "The events of the past year have made me a little suspicious."

"Even of the people closest to you? Rivkin asked raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, especially them. We pulled information from Tabal's computer. It said at some point the internet was connected, here, Ziva's account."

"She is tied to this dead man. Who is obviously duplicitous, practiced in the art of misinformation."

"That appears to be the shape of things." Tony said, continuing to get closer to Rivkin so when he went to arrest him it would be easier and wouldn't give the Israeli enough time to react and fight back.

"You came here to question Ziva," Rivkin asked. "All because a series of numbers on a terrorist's computer?"

"I was," Tony told the other man, "Until you answered the door. As soon as you're done with your drink Michael, you're under arrest for the murders of Abin Tabal and Federal Agent Tom Sherman." Tony said as he took out his gun and handcuffs.

"Good luck with that." Rivkin said with a smirk.

_Oh shit_, Tony thought to himself, this wasn't going to end well.

To Be Continued.

Next chapter will be the fight! I know this is kind of short and most of it was taken directly from the episode but it will be different from this point on, this was kind of like a prologue. Please, please, please review! =D


	2. The Fight

A/N: Here is the fight, any excuse for some Hurt! Tony, right! I hope you like it! =D Sorry about any mistakes, I didn't have enough time to proof read it but I wanted to get this posted.

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS.

Chapter Two- The Fight

As soon as Tony pointed his gun at Rivkin all hell broke loose. Rivkin was a highly trained Mossad officer and one of the most dangerous ones who did not appreciate having a gun pointed at him with the threat of getting arrested so as soon as Tony stepped forward to handcuff him Rivkin fought back.

He kicked the handcuffs and gun out of Tony's hands with ease. Tony quickly realized he had to fight back and dove into Rivkin hoping to knock him off balanced and gain the upper hand. Rivkin was ready for the NCIS agent to fight back so as soon as Tony barreled into him he easily flipped him onto the ground. As Tony went down his foot knocked into an end table; knocking down a picture of Ziva and her siblings, smashing the frame.

Tony was off the ground in a second and immediately began punching Rivkin in the face. Rivkin had enough and he finally punched back; hitting Tony square in the nose, hard. Tony didn't let that stop him, he charged Rivkin again. Rivkin was ready; he grabbed Tony's shoulders as he charged him and brought his knee up catching Tony in the ribs. Tony could swear he felt one snap. He let out a pain filled hiss and doubled over for a moment. Rivkin took the opportunity to punch Tony again. This time Tony went down, as soon as he was on the ground, he swung his foot around so he took both of Rivkin's right out from under him. Rivkin landed on his back with a thud.

Tony quickly jumped up with Rivkin right behind him. He made it to the kitchen and swung Ziva's freezer door just in time to Rivkin to smash his face into it. Tony went in to hit Rivkin again but he blocked all of his attempts. Rivkin got ahold of Tony's arm and snapped it back. The snap of Tony's arm seemed to resonate off of the walls. Tony didn't expect the sudden shooting pain in his arm and cried out in surprise.

Through the fog of pain Tony finally realized that Rivkin had him in a chokehold and he couldn't breathe, his lungs were already starting to burn. They screamed for oxygen but Rivkin's hold on his neck wasn't letting up. He knew he had to think quickly or he would pass out and then he was dead. The only thing he could think of was using his body weight to slam Rivkin back into the wall, which he did. Rivkin's hold loosened a little but it wasn't enough. He attempted to flip Rivkin over his shoulder but with only one good arm he only succeeded in knocking them both off balance. They fell forward onto Ziva's glass coffee table, Tony making the most contact and taking most of the impact of the fall. Not to mention the 180 pound Mossad officer who pretty much fell on top of him.

A new pain erupted in his body, replacing the agony in his arm. All he could do was lie in the glass until Rivkin got rolled off him. As soon as he did Tony rolled over, it felt like his gut was on fire and when he looked down at his body he could see a rather large piece of glass embedded in his stomach. He looked up with pain filled green eyes just in time to see Rivkin standing up. He was holding onto his side and Tony could just make out the red stain spreading down the side of his shirt. Rivkin looked down at his own impaled side for only a second before he pulled the glass out with ease. He held the bloody glass in his hand like a knife and looked at Tony; he had a murderous look in his eyes that terrified him.

Tony knew he still needed to fight back so he started to stand up too. He had still been lying in the pile of glass so he too picked up a decent size piece and held it the same way his opponent was. They stared at each other for what felt like ages, both bleeding severely and feeling the effects but refusing to give into them. Rivkin took one step toward, glass ready poised to strike any second. He took another step and looked Tony right in the eyes.

"You should have just left things alone."

Tony simply shook his head, no.

"Why do you keep fighting?" Rivkin asked.

"Because," Tony paused for a moment, "I have something worth fighting for." It was obvious Rivkin didn't know what he was talking about and Tony didn't care, he wasn't only talking about the brawl they were currently having either.

Tony could almost see it when it clicked for Rivkin that he was referring to Ziva. Anger suddenly flashed across his eyes. Tony was taken aback for a second at the suddenness of the anger and didn't even see the kick coming. Rivkin kicked him hard in the stomach right next to where the glass was sticking out. Tony couldn't help but cry out in pain as he fell on his back hard from the force of the kick. He had his eyes pinched tightly shut and his breathing was coming in short gasps. He sensed the next kick coming even though his eyes were tightly closed and rolled out of the way, Rivkin's foot barely missing him. He finally managed to open his eyes and realized he dropped the shard; he reached it with his non broken arm and picked it up.

He rolled over just in time to see Rivkin lunge at him. He didn't have enough time to duck before he felt the glass. He looked down and realized Rivkin had stabbed him, the glass implanted firmly in the right side of his chest. He gasped as he finally felt the full force of the pain. It radiated through his entire body now. He felt like he couldn't breathe and grey spots were swirling around clouding his vision.

Tony could feel himself slipping as he looked up to see Rivkin smiling, standing over him. Before the darkness claimed him he heard a bang. Something fell with a thud next to him and then he knew nothing but darkness.

To Be Continued.

How was it? Good? Bad? Please let me know! The fight was similar to the fight in the episode but I added my own twist to it. I hope it was ok! PLEASE REVIEW! =D


	3. Don't Leave Me

"Why do you keep fighting?" Rivkin asked, Tony couldn't tell if he was genuinely curious or just trying to distract him. The pain in his gut was doing a pretty good job of doing that without the help of this psychotic killer.

"Because," He started, he didn't even need to think for a second to know why he kept fighting and not just now. Whenever he was in situation where he needed to keep fighting he would always do it for the same reason. "I have something worth fighting for." He wasn't just talking about Ziva either; he was talking about everyone: Gibbs, Ziva, McGee, Abby, and Ducky, all of them. When he had the plague he held on for Kate, he held on to his sanity for his job and the people he helped doing his job. He held on for so many reasons but right now he held on just one. And Rivkin knew just what reason it was for this time.

He never even saw the kick coming, right next to where the glass was firmly embedded, and it sent him down…hard. The pain in that moment was worse than anything else he had ever experienced in his life. He sucked in painful gasps of air as the fire surged through his stomach, radiating in all directions until every inch of him was on fire. He didn't even have to open his eyes to know the next kick was coming; luckily he managed to get out of the way before that one connected.

He opened his eyes realizing along the way he had dropped his only weapon for the moment, a stray shard of glass. He picked it up with his non broken arm. Just as he was looking back to the crazed Mossad officer he saw him lunge. He looked down after feeling a sharp sting in the right side of his chest and was horrified to see yet another piece of glass in his already bleeding body. The intense pain he had been feeling before was now bumped up to extreme agony. His breathing was uneven and he felt every one burning a hole in his chest as it heaved with the exertion.

He knew he was done for when gray spots began blacking out his vision. He knew if he lost consciousness now he was done for, he couldn't help it though. He lost his hold on reality just as Rivkin fell next to him, dead with a bullet in his head.

OoOoOoO

Ziva had been betrayed. She knew that now. Rivkin, her father, Mossad, they had all played her as a fool and she had let them. Didn't even know it was happening and now it might be too late. Rivkin could be gone and she wouldn't be able to turn him in.

She pulled up across the street from her apartment building, noticing the very familiar car double parked in front of the building. She exited her vehicle with a confused look. She noticed the light on in her apartment and when she looked up she saw what could only be a very intense fight going on. _Oh no!_ She thought knowing whose car it was in front of her house for sure.

Ziva took off at a full sprint up the flights of stairs leading to her apartment. When she reached the door she pulled out her gun from the holster at her side. She tried the handle, it was locked. She could hear voices and glass shattering from within. When she heard the familiar cry of pain she stood back and kicked open her own door, not even bothering with the key.

When the splintered door opened the strong metallic odor of blood hit her nose and she almost gagged. There was blood all over her apartment which was also a mess. Tony was on the ground, glass around him, and in him, and Rivkin was standing above him. She didn't think twice before she fired her weapon only once, it was enough to do the trick. Rivkin's sinister grin was replaced by surprise and confusion as he fell to the floor.

Ziva didn't waste a second as she holstered her gun and ran to Tony's side. She placed one shaky finger to his neck and was relieved when she felt the gentle beat beneath. She was unnerved at how unsteady it felt, however, at least he was alive.

She pulled out her cell phone and called an ambulance. Once she was done giving the dispatcher the necessary information she called Gibbs. Once her calls were complete she returned her full attention to her bleeding partner.

"Tony, can you hear me?" She asked. When she received no response she quickly applied pressure around the glass. She hadn't even realized that she was kneeling in his blood until she felt it soak through her pants.

"Tony, come on. Do not do this to me. Wake up." She pleaded with the unresponsive man. She looked at Rivkin with hatred. This was much worse than only betrayal. She wished he was still alive so she could kill him more slowly. He didn't deserve a quick and painless death like the one he had received.

Tony's eyes started to flutter and Ziva raised one blood soaked hand to his cheek. When his eyes actually opened they were a deep, deep emerald green. That wasn't what she noticed though; she noticed the pain in them. She wished she could do something, anything to relieve him of his suffering.

"I am here, Tony." She said soothingly. He looked like she wanted to say something but just gasped instead. That was when she noticed what his breathing had been like all along; pained and a struggle. His breathing hitched again and his already too pale face got even paler. His eyes were scrunched in pain and she could tell he was desperately trying to pull air into his lungs. She could only look on in horror as his lips started to take on a bluish hit to them. Then he was still. She didn't know what it meant at first; she desperately wanted it to mean he was breathing easier now but she soon realized that wasn't the case. Tony had stopped breathing completely.

"No, no, no!" She begged, tears filling her eyes. "Tony, you cannot do this to me!" Disregarding the glass in his chest she began chest compressions when her fingers found no heart beat either. She pumped his chest fifteen times before leaning over his face. She tilted his head back so his airway was open. With one hand on his forehead and the other keeping his mouth open she blew two of her own breathes into his damaged lungs. His chest rose and fell with each breath but as soon as she was done with those his chest remained motionless. She quickly resumed the compressions.

Ziva had no idea how long she had been doing it until she felt warm hands grip her wrists and pull her away from her dying partner.

"Let the paramedics do their job." That was Gibbs; she hadn't even realized when they had all arrived.

She let herself be pulled away to her couch; Gibbs had to practically drag her there, her eyes staying on the lifeless body of Tony the whole way.

The paramedics were frantically trying to stabilize Tony enough for transport. They seemed to be content enough to move him. One was squeezing a bag over his face and the other was guiding the stretcher out of the room. As they went by the pair of worried NCIS agents the guiding paramedic looked back and explained, "He's lost a lot of blood and his right lung has collapsed. He needed to be in a hospital half an hour ago. We'll do everything we can for him on the way."

Ziva couldn't hold them back any longer; the tears that had been filling her eyes finally spilled over down her checks as she watched the paramedics take Tony out of her apartment on the stretcher.

"Tony," she whispered in a broken voice. "Don't leave me."

To Be Continued.

I am very happy to be working on this story again! I hope you all like chapter three! Please review!

I would also like to thank the 50+ people who reviewed this story already! It really means a lot to me so thank you!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or its characters…I wish I did though! How cool would that be?


	4. From Bad To Worse

As soon as the paramedics were gone with Tony, Gibbs turned to face Ziva who was sitting on her couch staring at her front door in shock. There was a fear in his eyes that Ziva had never seen before, and it scared the hell out of her.

"Ziva," He said, resting one hand on each of her shoulders so she was forced to look right at him. "What happened?" Ziva froze; she had no idea what had happened. One minute she was madder than ever for being played by everyone for so long, and then she was killing her "boyfriend" and Tony was bleeding out on her carpet.

"I…I don't know…" She stammered, it was true, she really didn't know at all. "This is all my fault." She said bewildered. Gibbs just stared at her; it was obvious she was severely distressed by the whole situation.

Gibbs was too.

When he received the call from Ziva saying Tony had been badly injured by Rivkin he had automatically assumed the worse. Rivkin was a highly trained, Mossad, assassin. Tony was a good fighter but he was more of a brawler; there was no way he had a chance against his opponent. As much as Gibbs would have liked to believe he had been wrong in assuming the worst had befallen his agent, he couldn't deny it though after seeing Tony for himself.

Gibbs needed to get the story from her, Tony too but he'd obviously worry about that later, and Rivkin but unfortunately that wouldn't be happening…ever.

He wasn't about to push the unraveling Mossad officer for details, he would worry about that later. For now they would go to the hospital, wait and worry just like always, and then deal with things one at a time from there. Gibbs knew there would be consequences for both of his agents in time, a Mossad officer was dead, but nobody was going to be getting to his team any time soon.

"Ziver," Gibbs started softly, he was deeply worried about Tony but he kept it from his voice as much as possible. He had no idea if he was successful in clearing his eyes of any hint of worry. He seriously doubted it; he just didn't want Ziva to be any more upset. "Let's go." Ziva nodded and they both stood up. They were about to leave when they both simultaneously smelled something odd.

"What is that?" Gibbs asked quietly; Ziva's eyes widened in recognition.

"We have to get out of here." She said in a panicked voiced.

OoOoOoO

Gibbs and McGee were back at the office when Gibbs received the frantic call from Ziva telling him Tony and Rivkin had been in a fight and Tony was hurt badly. Gibbs left immediately after hanging up. Before he left he told McGee to tell Ducky and Abby and then meet them at the hospital.

As soon as the elevator doors pinged and Gibbs was gone, McGee ran to the stairs taking them three at a time. When he got to Abby's lab the first thing that met him was the blaring music emanating from her new heavy metal CD.

"Abby!" McGee yelled over the music trying to get the Goth's attention.

She didn't hear him.

"ABBY!" He yelled even louder when he received no reply. Without turning around from her computer in the middle of the lab she picked up the remote and turned the music down.

"McGee!" She yelled happily in return, he felt so bad he was going to crush her cheerful mood.

"Abby." McGee said again, something in his eyes or voice or both, he didn't know, must have given away the severity of the situation because Abby's face fell.

"Who?" She asked, fear already taking hold of her voice.

"Tony was in a fight with Rivkin. Gibbs is on the way to Ziva's house, which is where the fight took place I guess, and he wants you, me, and Ducky to go and wait for them at the hospital." He said it so fast he was surprised Abby was able to understand anything he had just said, but then again, this was Abby so he wasn't really surprised.

Abby only nodded, tears filling her big, green eyes as McGee led her out of her lab and down to Autopsy.

OoOoOoO

Ducky was talking to a corpse when McGee and Abby came in. As soon as Ducky heard the whoosh of the Autopsy doors he sighed. His back to the door he hadn't seen who had actually come in.

"Ah, Jethro, you're just in time. I believe the cause of death was asphyxiation. The poor fellow…" When he got no response he turned around. He noticed the tears filling Abby's eyes and the way McGee's back was stiff and automatically assumed the worst, just as Gibbs had.

"Tony was hurt by Rivkin; we have to meet them at the hospital." McGee said quietly. Ducky sighed again.

"Oh, dear,"

As soon as Ducky handed off the autopsy to Palmer who arrived almost immediately after McGee had told Ducky the bad news they were off. They took one car and arrived at the hospital in record time. McGee didn't even know somebody Duck's age could drive so fast; it reminded him of Ziva's driving.

When they got to the hospital they went into the emergency room. Abby trudged up to the desk, her boots making clacking noises the whole way.

"Has Tony DiNozzo been brought in yet?" Abby asked the lady behind the counter who typed the name into her computer.

"Not yet, and I can't divulge any information to you unless you're his next of kin. Are any of you Leroy Jethro Gibbs?" She asked looking at the odd group.

Before they had time to answer the doors to the ambulance bay swung open and paramedics quickly came into the ER with a stretcher in tow. The trio could just barely make out Tony amongst all the blood covering the stretcher, Tony, and the paramedics. Abby gasped at the sight of her friend so broken and bleeding so much.

McGee nearly gagged at the sight of the glass in Tony. He hadn't known what to expect when Gibbs told him Tony was injured but it certainly wasn't this. He didn't know if their roles were reversed if he personally would be able to survive such injuries. He hoped Tony would prove once again he was stronger than him and pull through.

All three NCIS employees were glued to the spot as Tony was brought into a trauma area. Ducky recovered more quickly than Abby and McGee and followed them into the trauma area.

McGee was standing in front of the counter when the phone rang on the other side. The lady who had given them so little information the first time looked at them sadly.

"There is another ambulance coming in from the same place they picked up Mr. DiNozzo."

McGee looked at her in horror; he hadn't thought anything worse could possibly happen but once again he was proven wrong.

"What happened?" He asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"They said there was some sort of explosion."

To Be Continued.

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS…


	5. Nine Lives

Ziva knew immediately what that gaseous smell was. It was part of their training in Tel Aviv; three clean cuts to a gas line would be enough to blow up, well, her entire apartment. The thing she didn't understand was why she could smell anything. If done correctly there should be no odor, nothing to bring attention to the damage and inevitable explosion.

None of that really mattered. What did matter was that it was going to blow, and she and Gibbs were right in the blast zone.

They had to get out of there.

"What is that?" Ziva realized Gibbs must have smelled it too.

"We have to get out of here." Ziva said nervously.

Gibbs wasted no time after Ziva spoke. He grabbed her arm and began pulling her out of her apartment. His gut was telling him they needed to move, to get out of there, now.

They ran through her front door and were half way to the stairs when the explosion occurred. The noise hit them before the actual blast did. They both flinched violently as the obstreperous noise met their ears.

Gibbs quickly grabbed Ziva's arm again, which he had let go of when they had left her actual apartment, and pulled her in front of him. The concussion finally hit them, hard. Gibbs felt the intense heat hit his back, lifting them off the ground, and throwing them into the wall. Gibbs, due to his quick thinking, received the brunt of the explosion, having used his own body as a human shield to shelter Ziva from the flung debris. He felt the splintered wood and twisted metal hit his back. Once he and Ziva hit the wall Gibbs head made contact with the drywall, causing him to lose consciousness immediately before they were dump unceremoniously in a heap on the floor.

OoOoOoO

As soon as McGee, Abby, and Ducky were told that another ambulance was coming from the same place Tony had been picked up, Abby immediately began sobbing. They knew Rivkin was dead so it had to be either Gibbs or Ziva…or both who were injured.

Ducky went over and wrapped his arms around the forensic scientist, McGee backed up against the wall; not trusting his legs to hold him up without the support. The day was just getting worse and worse, first Tony was in a fight with a trained killer where he was seriously injured, and then there was an explosion where Gibbs or Ziva had been injured. Abby was the one to vocalize his thoughts.

"Why does this keep happening?" She sobbed into Ducky's embrace. "Why can we never get a break? Especially Tony, he's been through so much." Ducky didn't have an answer to that. Neither did McGee.

He couldn't help but think about how true that statement was. Tony never seemed to get a break. Tony never talked about his life before he worked at NCIS so McGee honestly didn't know what had happened to Tony before his life in DC but since working at NCIS, Tony had pretty much been to hell and back so many times if he were a cat he would have used up his nine lives years ago.

The first time McGee remembered being truly afraid for the older man's safety was when he had been drugged and dragged away to the sewer just like Atlas. Luckily Gibbs and Kate had been able to get him back.

After that there was the time when they were looking for Petty Officer Swain. She had only knocked Tony unconscious but they had been so worried she was going to shoot him.

Then there was the time when Tony went undercover and nearly had his throat slit by Jeffery White. Tony had a hard time with that one, he had really started to like the murderer and felt guilty over having to kill him. Luckily he came to his senses and didn't spend too much time feeling bad about that one.

The most unforgettable one would always be when he had contracted Y. Pestis. McGee had visited him very frequently during Tony's stay in the hospital when he had the plague. He had seen the fear in the older man's eyes when he was nearly drowning in his own body and they had to put him on a ventilator for three whole days. Tony couldn't speak during that time, but his eyes had said it all. Nobody thought he could make it except Gibbs, and when he did make it he was almost blown up and Kate died. All of that happened in just a month and a half and Tony was there helping him through it afterwards.

McGee realized things never seemed to get better for Tony because after that he and Ziva had been on an undercover assignment as married assassins. What none of them knew, however, was that the Jean Paul and Sophie were the hit. They were tied to chairs and Tony was beaten pretty badly. Then he was sent to jail after being framed by Abby's assistant Chip.

Pretty soon Tony and Ziva were locked in a cold, metal box where Tony had been shot in the arm. McGee and Ziva had teased him about it only being a scratch caused by him cutting his arm on a wooden box but Ziva had told him later, along with Ducky, that it was in fact a graze from a bullet.

They had lost Paula Cassidy, somebody Tony cared for deeply, and he was on a long, undercover mission for the director. The first time he had ever actually fallen in love and that too almost killed him. First, and McGee didn't hear about this until later, but Tony and Jeanne had been held hostage in the morgue where Tony had been pistol whipped and then threated the whole time with a gun while Jeanne was forced to extract drugs from a corpses intestines. Then the next day his car was blown up.

They really thought they lost him that time.

McGee had to save him from falling to his death when he was hanging off the wall at the parking garage.

They had lost Director Sheppard and Tony felt so guilty over it he almost drank himself to death. He had been played by everyone during the search for the mole and now this.

Abby was exactly right, why didn't he ever get a break from it all. It was so unfair that Tony had to go through all of that, only to be nearly killed now.

McGee's eyes widen in horror as he realized, Tony may not make it through this one.

To be continued.

Please review!


	6. Of Waiting and Worrying

Disclaimer: Good news, I now own NCIS….just kidding!

Chapter Six: Of Waiting and Worrying

McGee was still leaning back against the wall, head resting on the cool surface, completely sick of waiting and worrying, and he knew there was more to come. This was only the beginning, and that terrified McGee.

Nobody had come to talk to them yet, maybe it had only been a few minutes, but that didn't matter to McGee. He needed conformation that his friends were going to be all right, he didn't even know the extent of the injuries Gibbs and Ziva had received. For all he knew they could both be brain dead, living vegetables; or they could be fine but coming to the hospital in an ambulance just to be on the safe side.

McGee looked over at Abby and Ducky. Ducky still had his arms around Abby but was now leading her to the uncomfortable waiting room chairs. He couldn't hear the quiet words of comfort the ME was whispering into the crying Goth's ear.

The banging of doors and his boss' voice brought his attention back to the situation at hand.

"Tell me if my agent is alive!" Gibbs voice cut through the sterile emergency room air. The three unharmed NCIS employees jumped up and ran over to the stretcher carrying their fearless leader.

"Sir, you have to stay still. You have a concussion and possibly internal injuries." The female paramedic said trying to calm the distraught the agent.

"Gibbs!" Abby said, her voice breaking, as she ran up and gave Gibbs a gentle hug. Gibbs wrapped a bandaged hand around her small shoulders.

"Tell me he's gonna be ok." She whispered. Gibbs sighed.

"He's gonna be ok, Abbs. I didn't give him permission to die." Abby pulled back with a small smile. Gibbs tried to smile but couldn't. He honestly had no idea if Tony could pull through or not. But then again, it was Tony they were talking about so he would probably be "fine" in no time.

"I'm sorry, ma'am but we really need to go." Abby nodded and let the paramedics wheel Gibbs into one of the trauma areas.

Not two seconds after Gibbs was whisked away, the big doors opened once again revealing a still Ziva. McGee, Ducky, and Abby could only stand there staring as Ziva was quickly rushed into another trauma area.

Abby started crying again and once again Ducky wrapped his arms around her trembling frame.

"Don't worry, my dear." Ducky consoled her, "everything is going to be ok."

McGee didn't know if that was true.

To Be Continued.

Please review!


	7. Two Minutes to Midnight

Author's Note: I am so sorry I haven't been updating. I had been in an advanced composition class which meant I had a whole bunch of essays to write every night for homework. When you have that much writing to do for school it doesn't really give a lot of time for fun writing. Anyway, I am done with that class now so I can focus on my stories again! Sorry again for the HUGE delay!

Disclaimer: I...OWN…NOTHING! =D

Two hours.

McGee couldn't believe it had been two full hours since he had seen any of his injured team members. He didn't even know if they were alive. It seemed impossible for their luck to be so bad. As a team, they never got a break. Somebody was always in danger. McGee knew it came with the territory. If you wanted to be a federal agent then danger was practically written in the job description. It still didn't make it any easier to sit in hospital waiting rooms while your team members fought for their lives in the next room. The worst part was there was absolutely nothing he could do except sit there and hope for the best.

What was really bothering McGee was what happened at Ziva's apartment? All he really knew was they were at the apartment when there was an explosion and neither looked good. McGee couldn't help but wonder who set the bomb up.

OoOoOoO

"What's his BP?" Dr. Carlos Martinez asked the paramedics who wheeled the unconscious NCIS agent into the trauma area.

"BP's 90 over 55, O2 stats low at 80. We need to intubate." The older paramedic informed Dr. Martinez who nodded in agreement. The paramedics left and were immediately replaced by another doctor and two nurses.

"O2 stats low, we need to intubate. Deflated right lung, we're gonna need to put in a chest tube. Somebody call surgery; tell them we have a male, late thirties to early forties, multiple stab wounds. One to the upper abdomen, right quadrant; another to the right side of his chest which caused a pneumothorax. Both pieces of glass are still embedded in his chest and abdomen."

"Yes, doctor." One of the nurses replied before quickly heading to the phone on the wall by the door to the trauma area.

"Ok, I need a Number 8 ET tube." Once handed the proper equipment, Dr. Martinez tilted the agents head back and picked up the laryngoscope with his left hand. He quickly, but efficiently inserted the curved, dull blade between Tony's teeth and down into his hypo pharynx, then slightly lifted the laryngoscope up and forward until he could see his vocal cords. Picking up the tube with his right hand he carefully slid it past the vocal cords until it was properly positioned. Removing the laryngoscope, he then attached the tube, now inserted into the agent's throat, to the ventilator machine which would artificially force his patient's unresponsive lungs to work.

"We need to re-inflate his right lung; I need a chest tube tray. But he is losing too much blood, what's his blood type?"

"We don't know, he wasn't brought in with anybody and we haven't received his file yet." A nurse answered.

"Let's give him a few units of O negative and put them on the rapid infuser."

"Right away, doctor."

After the chest tube was inserted and the agent's lungs were taken care of, Dr. Martinez started looking at the stab wounds with the glass still in them.

"The glass in his chest nicked the right lung but the glass in his stomach appears to have hit the spleen. His abdomen is rigid and distended to the right of the glass, get ultrasound here to make sure the bleed is coming from the spleen."

Suddenly there was a loud beeping noise as Tony's vitals suddenly dropped.

"Pressure's down to 75, he must be bleeding from somewhere else. Check his ribs; he may have a broken one causing more internal damage." After a quick examination, it was discovered that their fears were confirmed.

"Dr. Martinez, the seventh and eight ribs on his left side are broken; looks like they hit the liver." Dr. Martinez sighed. Things were looking worse and worse for his patient. He wasn't sure if he was going to be able to survive these injuries

The beeping got worse as the agent on the table deteriorated. BP's 70 over 40, pressure is dropping, down to 60. We're losing him people. We need to stop the bleed before we send him to surgery, 10 blade stat." The blade was passed over and Tony's abdomen was swabbed with betadine. Dr. Martinez placed the blade and started the incision for the laparotomy.

The loud beeping suddenly turned into a monotonous whine.

"Lost the pulse!"

"Charge the paddles!"

"Charging to 360!"

"Clear!" Thump…nothing…

"Again, 400!"

"Clear!" Thump…still nothing…

"Again, 450!"

"Clear!"

Thump…body jumps off of bed…crashes back down…remains motionless…

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep…

"Nothing…"

Dr. Martinez looked up at the clock from the still body of one Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo.

11:58 p.m.

He wouldn't let this agent die, he would see another day.

"Should we call it?" A nurse asked…no…

"Not yet, again!" Nobody moved.

"Charge to 475!" The whine of the paddles charging filled the room. Paddles were placed on Tony's chest once again.

"Clear!"

Thump…

To Be Continued…


	8. Not Out of the Woods Yet

McGee was just about to go back up to the reception desk with the intent to try find out any little shred of information he could about his injured friends when a Latino man in bloody, light blue scrubs came out of the trauma area.

"Are you all here for Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo?" McGee froze; face going pale as he stared at the man covered in Tony's blood; the man who was hopefully able to save his dying friend, or the man who hadn't been able to and was now coming out with bad news.

No.

He couldn't think that way. Tony was not dead. He couldn't be; he's Tony, McGee thought to himself.

"Is he all right?" Abby asked from right behind him. McGee realized when the doctor came out they all stood up and moved really close to the door he came out of. It would have almost been comical if the situation wasn't so dire.

McGee honestly couldn't read this man, and that was really bothering him. As an NCIS agent, he had learned how to read people but he couldn't read this man. He couldn't tell what he was going to say and that terrified McGee.

"He is still alive." The doctor replied. "I'm Dr. Martinez and I'm the attending assigned to his case." Dr. Martinez told the relieved trio. McGee, Abby, and Ducky nodded their greeting while continuing to stare at him eagerly awaiting the news he was about to tell them.

"When Special Agent DiNozzo came in he was in severe hypovolemic shock. He had two stab wounds, one to the chest and one to the abdomen. The glass used to stab him was still embedded in his chest and side. The glass in his chest caused a pneumothorax so we inserted a chest tube and had to intubate him. The glass in his stomach hit his spleen, he's in surgery now and they are going to try and save it but it could be too damaged to salvage. Also, two of his ribs were broken causing a small tear in his liver so during the surgery they will repair that as well.

Dr. Martinez gave the rapidly paling NCIS employees a second to digest the news he'd just given them. This had always been the part of his job he despised the most. Having to tell the families of his patient's the extent of the injuries they'd received, and this was obviously his patient's family even if they were his coworkers.

"What are his chances, doctor?" The younger of the two males asked.

"Well, we lost him once before we were able to stabilize him enough for the trip up to the OR, but we were able to bring him back."

_"Lost the pulse!"_

_"Charge the paddles!"_

_"Charging to 360!"_

_"Clear!" Thump…nothing…_

_"Again, 400!"_

_"Clear!" Thump…still nothing…_

_"Again, 450!"_

_"Clear!"_

_Thump…body jumps off of bed…crashes back down…remains motionless…_

_Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep…_

_"Nothing…"_

_Dr. Martinez looked up at the clock from the still body of one Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo._

_11:58 p.m._

_He wouldn't let this agent die, he would see another day._

_"Should we call it?" A nurse asked…no…_

_"Not yet, again!" Nobody moved._

_"Charge to 475!" The whine of the paddles charging filled the room. Paddles were placed on Tony's chest once again._

_"Clear!"_

_Thump…_

_The shrill noted continued to blare through the room. _

"_Come on, come on!"_

"_One more time and then we can call it." Dr. Martinez said defeated. _

"_Charge the paddles, 475." _

_The same whine reached Dr. Martinez's ears, the noise that was becoming all too familiar in the last several minutes._

"_Clear!"_

_Thump!_

_BeepBeepBeep…Beep…Beep…Beep…Beep…_

"_He's back!" _

_Dr. Martinez looked at the clock, 12:00 A.M., and smiled. _

"_BP is back to 70 over 40, Pulse 90. We need to get him to the OR, stat!"_

_Dr. Martinez watched as Special Agent DiNozzo was quickly wheeled out of the room. It had been close but the man he had just saved was fighting very hard, he was still alive._

_At least for the time being…_

_Dr. Martinez walked out of the room, ready to tell the agent's family the extent of his condition._

"He is fighting very hard, I wouldn't be as optimistic if he wasn't fighting so hard but since he is; his chances are looking good."

There was a mutual sigh of relief and Dr. Martinez instantly regretted giving these desperate people any false hope. It was still a very sensitive situation and he wanted them to know what they were dealing with.

"However, he is nowhere near out of the woods yet, so please don't get your hopes up. In my professional opinion I think he should make it through the surgery but he still has a long road ahead of him."

Three heads nodded, something in their eyes told him they were used to this, being told that one of their friends had a long road ahead of them. It seemed like it was probably agent DiNozzo more times than not as well.

"Thank you, doctor." The young man said.

"The surgery should only take a few hours, and then I will come back to tell you the news."

And with that, Dr. Martinez was gone.

OoOoOoO

It wasn't very long before another doctor came out to the waiting room.

"Are you here for Agents Gibbs and David?" The doctor asked.

McGee, Abby, and Ducky once again left their uncomfortable chairs and were practically shoving each other out of the way as they tried to meet the doctor. They hadn't really heard anything about what happened to Ziva and Gibbs. They had only seen Gibbs for a few seconds and hadn't seen Ziva at all.

"Yes, we are." McGee answered for the group.

"I'm Dr. Fisher, I was the attending assigned to Ms. David's case but I was told the condition of Mr. Gibbs as well."

"Are they all right?" McGee asked, unnerved by the look in the doctors eyes.

"I think we should sit down."

To Be Continued.

Dun, dun, duuunnnn….

Next will finally have something about Ziva and Gibbs!

Please let me know what you thought, and, oh, sorry about the cliffhanger…again! Hehehe…

Till Next Time,

Tango 3


	9. Good News and Not So Good News

**Chapter Nine: Good News and Not So Good News**

"Are you here for Agents Gibbs and David?" The doctor asked.

McGee, Abby, and Ducky once again left their uncomfortable chairs and were practically shoving each other out of the way as they tried to meet the doctor. They hadn't really heard anything about what happened to Ziva and Gibbs. They had only seen Gibbs for a few seconds and hadn't seen Ziva at all.

"Yes, we are." McGee answered for the group.

"I'm Dr. Fisher, I was the attending assigned to Ms. David's case but I was told the condition of Mr. Gibbs as well."

"Are they all right?" McGee asked, unnerved by the look in the doctors eyes.

"I think we should sit down."

Dr. Fisher had never seen faces fall so quickly. Their faces only seconds earlier wore expressions of hope, now they were a mixture of terror and worry.

"I think we'll be fine right here." Ducky spoke up, too impatient to hear the conditions of his friends to go anywhere.

"All right then." Dr. Fisher started, "As you already know, Agents David and Gibbs were caught in an explosion." Mutual nods, Dr. Fisher continued, "When agent Gibbs came in he was conscious. He does however have a severe concussion, a gash on his hand which took thirteen stiches, four cracked ribs, one broken ribs, and a lot of minor scrapes and bruises. All in all, Agent Gibbs was very lucky and can be released tomorrow."

There was a three way sigh of relief to hear that Gibbs was ok, but they were still very anxious to hear about Ziva's condition.

"He's awake and resting comfortably in a regular room, you can visit him after if you would like."

"What about Ziva?" Abby asked quietly.

"Agent David was not as lucky. She sustained a much more serious concussion. We are currently watching for intracranial pressure or bleeding. The head injury has put her in a light coma, but it is not as bad as it could be and I believe she will wake up in a few days." Dr. Fisher added when three pale faces grew paler.

"She also has a broken wrist, dislocated shoulder and two broken ribs, some minor bruising and a few minor contusions. When she wakes up she will no doubt be sore for a few weeks but the prognosis is looking good. Unless there are any complications, I am cautiously optimistic that she will make a full recovery."

"What about the brain injury, could there be any permanent damage from that?" McGee asked.

"With any head or brain injury there is always the risk of permanent damage. We'll know for sure when she wakes up."

All three noted he said 'when' and not 'if', that must be a good sign.

"Can we see them now?" Abby asked.

"Agent Gibbs can take more visitors than Agent David because we have her in the ICU so we can keep a better watch out for any bleeding. Two of you can go see Agent Gibbs and one of you can go see Agent David."

Ducky and Abby went up to see Gibbs while McGee went to see Ziva. Now that he knew Gibbs and Ziva would be ok, some of the weight was lifted off of his shoulders. However, Tony was still in surgery, and he might not be as lucky as his coworkers.

OoOoOoO

As Ducky led Abby through the hospital wings to go see their fearless leader he couldn't help but think of how guilty the younger man would feel.

Half of his team had been more injured then him. Ducky knew how much everybody on the team meant to Gibbs, he would do anything for them, he would die for them. Now one of them lie in a coma and another was in a surgery he may not survive. Even if Tony did survive, Ducky knew how tenuous his hold on life would be, he knew how much Tony would have to fight to stay among the living. If he died, Gibbs would be crushed, broken in so many pieces Ducky honestly didn't know if he would be able to stay with NCIS.

After Kate died, Gibbs had been a wreck. He didn't let it show but Ducky could see right through his tough, Gunnery Sergeant façade. Gibbs had only known Kate for two years, he cared about her like a daughter but Tony was different. Gibbs knew Tony for going on eight years. Tony never had a father, not really, and Gibbs never had a son so they filled those rolls for each other. They didn't even have to say anything, they just had to sit by each other and the bond was so strong it nearly became tangible.

If Gibbs lost Tony, well, Ducky didn't want to know how he would take that.

Ducky wasn't all that worried though. Gibbs would tell Tony he didn't have his permission to die; Tony would listen to him and would fight with the strength of ten men to stay out of death's icy grasp.

Who was he kidding, Ducky was terrified.

Terrified for these people who had become more than just his coworkers, more than just his friends; Ducky was terrified for these people who had become his family.

The nurse who'd been leading Ducky and Abby stopped in front of a door that was marked RM-304

"Visiting hours would have been over at eight o'clock but since its midnight, I'll make an exception and let you guys stay until morning." The nurse informed them kindly before leaving them to visit their injured friend.

Ducky pushed the door open, and then had to push Abby inside.

The lights were dimmed and Ducky knew that hospitals often did that when patients had concussions, plus also it was midnight and Gibbs should have really been sleeping, Ducky knew there was no way that was going to happen easily though. When they walked into the room the first thing that greeted them was the steady beeping from Gibbs' heart monitor. The sound comforted them; it proved that one of their friends was ok, all things considered.

Abby immediately ran over to the silver haired man sitting in the hospital bed, wrapping her arms cautiously around him in a signature "Abby-hug".

"Gibbs, I'm so happy you're all right!" She cried into his shoulder.

"Are they even still alive?" Gibbs asked the look in his piercing blue eyes heart-breaking.

OoOoOoO

Dr. Fisher brought McGee up to Ziva's room in the ICU. When Dr. Fisher stopped in front of room ICU-07, McGee realized he was terrified. The doctor said they cautiously optimistic that Ziva would be ok with time but it was still weird to see somebody so strong in such a vulnerable state. He knew it would be worse when he saw Tony but this was not easy either.

McGee walked over to pale figure lying in the hospital bed; he pulled a chair right up to the bed, and studied Ziva's appearance. She was lying on the bed with a blanket covering most of her body, her hands lying softly by her sides. She had a bandage wrapped around her head, the dark brown curls underneath flowing across the pillow and down her shoulders. There was a nasal cannula across her face, just under her nose giving her some assistance receiving oxygen. A cast was wrapped around her broken wrist but other than that, she just looked like she was sleeping.

McGee sighed, and then sat down, ready to wait for news on Tony.

OoOoOoO

Three hours after he'd sat down at Ziva's bedside, the door opened and a gurney was wheeled in.

McGee peered over the Dr. Martinez's shoulders as they wheeled the gurney into the open space next to Ziva's.

The sight made him gasp.

It was Tony, he was lying still and pale on the white sheets. There was a thin blanket covering him up to his waist, his right hand lightly rested on top, his left arm strapped to his chest with a sling. The thin hospital gown was covering his torso hiding all of his injuries from sight and McGee was grateful for the small favor. His face was bruised and there was a tube sticking out of his mouth. A nurse was rhythmically squeezing a bag that was attached to the tube, forcing air into his unresponsive lungs. IV needles were sticking out of the crock of his right arm and there was another sticking out of his hand. IV bags were being held up in the air as Tony's gurney was positioned into place.

The brakes were set, the IV bags were hung on a hook above the bed, leads were placed on Tony's chest and a too-slow beat filled the room, the intubated tube was attached to a larger machine that was pushed up to the head of the bed and a click whoosh sound fell into the background with all of the other hospital noises.

McGee simply stared.

Not much more he could do.

Tony was so still, Ziva was so still.

And all McGee could do was stand there and stare.

Dr. Martinez was just turning to acknowledge McGee's presence when Abby and Ducky walked into the room; Ducky was pushing a wheel chair with a tired, worried-looking Gibbs sitting impatiently in it.

"He refused to stay in his room. He was very adamant about seeing young Anthony." Ducky explained when Dr. Martinez gave the small group a displeased look.

"Very well, I was just going to inform Agent McGee here on Agent DiNozzo's condition and then I was going to go inform you three. This saves me the walk."

Gibbs gave him a death glare, the one that said 'tell me what I want to hear or things will get very bad for you'. Dr. Martinez saw the look and quickly began to speak.

"Agent DiNozzo came in with an assortment of injuries both severe and minor. First the glass in his chest caused a collapsed lung. We inserted a chest tube and repaired the damage during surgery.

The glass in his stomach caused a small tear in his spleen, the glass was removed and the spleen was fixed without having to be removed. However, there was a bit more damage done to the organ than we originally thought. We will have to keep a close eye out for any signs of enlargement which would result in emergency surgery to remove the organ. Luckily, you can live without it but it is not ideal.

Two of his ribs were broken and caused another tear in his liver. The ribs were fixed and the liver damaged was also repaired.

There was a fracture to his radius which will be sore for a while but will heal just fine.

He has a concussion which isn't one of our main concerns along with some superficial bruises and lacerations to various parts of his body.

Really our main concern is the damage to his internal organs and infection. Infection is a concern because the spleen helps fend off bacteria that cause infection. Since its still on the mend, it is not performing its job as it should, meaning infection a very likely possibility. These next few days will be the deciding factor, especially the next 24 hours. If he can pull through these next few days I am cautiously optimistic he will make a full recovery.

The last thing is, since his medical history says he contracted the pneumonic plague a few years ago, we do not want to keep him on the ventilator for too long. The scaring of his lungs and the ventilator could cause pneumonia and the last thing he needs to deal with right now is pneumonia. We'll begin to wean him off the vent as soon as he wakes up."

Dr. Martinez could tell the people in front of him needed some time alone with their hurt friends. That had been a lot to take in, so much had happened to them in the last several hours and now it was nearly 3:30 in the morning. Each one of them looked ready to pass out on the spot.

"I'll be back in an hour to check on him if you want to stay in here, it's against protocol for the ICU but I will allow it, just make sure he gets some rest." Dr. Martinez said quietly to the older Scotsman, motioning towards Gibbs, before walking out the door to check on other patients.

Ducky knew Gibbs was exhausted but stoically carrying on to support the man who'd become his pseudo-son. Without much fight from the younger, silver haired man, which just proved right there how exhausted he was, Ducky was able to wheel him back down to his own room for a couple hours sleep before he was discharged.

Before Ducky was able to get Gibbs out of the room, though, he wheeled himself right next to Tony's bed side. Leaning close to his ear he quietly whispered, "You will NOT die."

Then he was gone, McGee and Abby sat down in the uncomfortable hospital chairs and both soon fell into a restless sleep.

The only sounds in the room where two individual hearts beating, one slightly slower than the other, and the click whoosh of the ventilator keeping a very important asset of Team Gibbs alive.

But, none of them knew that the rest of the day would make the previous one look like a leisurely walk in the park.

**To Be Continued.**

**Happy Belated Fourth of July! *i.e. My Favorite Holiday* =D**

**~Tango**


	10. The Person You Meet in Heaven

Tony always knew he'd die someday, and not of old age.

Being an NCIS agent was a dangerous gig. Bad guys shooting at you all the time, constantly going undercover with dangerous criminals, bombs, car chases, plague filled envelopes-there was always a risk you had to take.

He'd never been this close before, though.

When he had the plague things were bad for a while, really bad, to the point where he was almost one hundred percent sure he wouldn't make it. But Gibbs was there to reassure him that he wouldn't die, that gave him the strength to fight his way out of the dark ages-literally.

Now he felt like he was floating in an endless sea of darkness, but he could feel something solid under his feet. The angle of the hard surface beneath his feet, the smell of gunpowder…and copper-blood, reminded him of a memory he'd been trying to keep out of his thoughts for years.

The darkness started to melt away like fog rolling off the ground until there was no doubt in Tony's mind where he was- a familiar, awful rooftop. Echoes of voices yelling and gunshots being fired started to vibrate in the background as sunshine lit the memory into view.

Tony stood, completely alone. He looked down at himself; he was the same black NCIS windbreaker that he was wearing on that horrible day. He could feel the heavy weight of a bullet proof vest underneath and the microphone wrapped around his throat with the ear piece coiling up to rest in his ear. He touched his faces, fully expecting to feel the shocking wetness of blood but his hands came away clean.

He turned around slowly and stopped immediately. There was a figure leaning against the railing surrounding the rooftop, her brown hair flowed down to rest on her shoulders and she was dressed similarly to the way Tony was dressed but instead of his jeans she was wearing white pants.

"Kate?" Tony asked, afraid for what that meant if this really was Kate.

"Hi Tony," She replied back, Tony began to walk towards her. He'd never thought he'd see her again and he didn't care what it meant, he realized. When he got closer he noticed that thankfully her head was completely intact. There wasn't even the horrible hole in the center of her forehead.

He stopped when he was a few feet from her; Kate continued to lean against the rail.

"Kate, I am so sorry," Tony began before Kate cut him off by reaching up and putting a figure on his lips.

"Tony, it wasn't your fault." Kate said, her chocolate brown eyes looking into his sad green ones.

Tears began forming in the corners of his eyes. He didn't know if this was a dream but he didn't care. He couldn't express how guilty he felt over her death, how often he thought he should have done something to stop what had happened to her.

"Am I dead?" He asked quietly.

"No." Kate said "But you will be if you don't go back."

"I can't" Tony said staring at his shoes, when he looked back up he gasped as he saw the hole in Kate's forehead, blood began leaking down her face. Her expression mirrored his and he looked down to find himself in the same suit he'd been wearing during the altercation with Rivkin. Glass stuck out from tears in the suit, blood seeped from the wounds turning the grey suit a dark red color that spread down his chest, stomach, and pant legs.

"You have to go back!" Kate said urgently, "It's a lot more serious than I thought."

The look of desperation in her eyes confused Tony.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I'm here to help you go back to yourself, to the team, if we're seeing the injuries it means your closer to death than I thought. You have to go back, now, or you won't be able to."

"I don't want to go back; I've made so many mistakes that have cost people their lives. How can I go back when nobody wants me there?" Tony asked honestly, looking down at his shoes again.

Kate reached up to cup Tony's face with her hands, lifting his face so that he was forced to meet her eye line.

"Anthony DiNozzo, I never want to hear you say that again. Do you understand me! It's not your fault, not my death, not Paula Cassidy's death, and not Director Sheppard's death either!"

Tony said nothing.

"How can you say that nobody wants you alive? Think about Gibbs, you're his son Tony. He's already lost his wife and daughter; don't make him lose you too.

McGee and Abby would be devastated if you left them, especially Abby. Tony you're her rock, her comfort when situations go wrong. You soften the blows this job rains down on her; constantly having to see her friends leave knowing they may never walk through her lab doors again.

And Ziva, you two have been dancing around each other for years. I know how you feel when she's around. I also know how she feels when you are around. If any two people are soul mates it would be you and her. Jeanne and Rivkin, they were just hurdles, designed to test your feelings for each other. If you can make it through this then its proof that you two are meant to be together. You cannot give up now, they do need you.

All of them."

Tony could only stare at Kate in shock. He'd never realized how much he meant to the people in his life. He never realized how much those people needed him, but more importantly he never realized how much he needed them.

Before he knew what was happening Kate put her hands on his chest and pushed, hard-and then he was falling.

**6:43 A.M.**

Gibbs had woken up exactly forty-three minutes earlier and insisted he be brought to Tony and Ziva's room. Now he was just sitting between the beds of his two fallen agents.

The guilt was eating him alive.

That should be him lying so pale and so still in a hospital bed, not Tony. Tony, whom he'd sworn for years he'd watch his back and protect him.

So many times he failed. So many times Tony's life was on the line.

He looked around the room. Tony and Ziva were lying on the two hospital beds, he was sitting in between the beds. Abby and McGee were curled up in chairs-McGee on the other side of Ziva's bed, Abby on the other side of Tony's. Ducky was out getting coffees.

He watched as his family slept.

Suddenly there was a noise behind him, it sounded like the rustling of stiff hospital sheets and it was coming from Tony's bed.

Gibbs was out of his wheel chair in no seconds flat and at Tony's side immediately as he continued to struggle out of unconsciousness.

It wasn't long after the melee began within the agent before two emerald slits became visible.

"Hey, DiNozzo, are ya with me?" Gibbs asked, studying the newly conscious man.

A small nod was the only response Tony could muster, especially with that damn tube shoved down his throat.

Tony could feel the intrusion and wanted to do something to get it out but he was too exhausted and weak to even gag on it. Tony felt like he was being pulled away. Darkness started to cloud his vision and a sharp pain pierced through his chest.

"Tony?" Gibbs questioned seeing his agent begin to become distressed. Tony's face was becoming rapidly paler and he was starting to have trouble breathing even with the ventilator which had been set to assist his breathing instead of breathing for him completely so they could begin weaning him off the machine. His lips gaining a slightly bluish hint, a color Gibbs never wanted to see Tony turn again.

The heart monitor set off an alarm as Tony's pulse became terribly weak and sluggish. Lines of pain were now creasing Tony's face and his eyes were clenched painfully shut.

"Tony, what is it?" Gibbs asked, pushing the call button to alert somebody, anybody, of his ailing agent.

Gibbs question was met with two slivers of green staring fearfully into Gibbs' blue orbs. Tony gave a final shudder before his eyes glazed over and then rolled back into his head.

"Tony!"

To Be Continued.

I am so evil, another cliffhanger! HAHAHA!

Please let me know what you thought, I would love to hear it!

~Tango


	11. When Life Drags You Down

**When Life Drags You Down**

Tony felt like he was being pulled away.

Darkness started to cloud his vision and a sharp pain stabbed through his chest.

"Tony?" Gibbs questioned seeing his agent begin to become distressed.

Tony's face was becoming rapidly paler and he was starting to have trouble breathing even with the ventilator, which had been set to assist his breathing instead of breathing for him completely so they could begin weaning him off the machine. His lips gaining a slightly bluish hint, a color Gibbs never wanted to see Tony turn again.

The heart monitor set off an alarm as Tony's pulse became terribly weak and sluggish. Lines of pain were now creasing Tony's face and his eyes were clenched painfully shut.

"Tony, what is it?" Gibbs asked, pushing the call button to alert somebody, anybody, of his ailing agents' deteriorating condition.

Gibbs question was met with two slivers of green staring fearfully into Gibbs' blue orbs. Tony gave a final shudder before his eyes glazed over and then rolled back into his head.

"Tony!"

"Tony, come on! Stay with me." Gibbs said, resting one of his hands on Tony's too cold forehead, the other hand grabbing Tony's limp fingers.

Tony's eyes fluttered open again. His brief stint into unconsciousness interrupted by the pain he was feeling in his chest. It felt like his lungs were on fire and he couldn't breathe. The tube shoved down his throat was supposed to help him, but all it was doing was making it harder, more painful.

Tony's hand shot up and before Gibbs even knew what was happening, Tony grasped the tube and pulled hard.

The tube was yanked free and all Tony could do was try to keep his lungs inside his chest, not all over himself and the nice, white blanket.

"Shit, DiNozzo!" Gibbs exclaimed as he watched his agent struggle to stop coughing. Gibbs quickly picked up his agents upper body, getting behind him on the bed and put his arm around Tony's chest to try to ease his ragged breathing.

"B-Bossss…" Tony slurred, his voice hoarse from the recent abuse, his breathing hitching painfully.

Gibbs couldn't believe Tony had just pulled the tube out himself. He'd heard stories of people trying, hell, anyone who'd ever had one of those damn things had tried to do it but usually, in their weakened state, somebody close by was able to stop them. Gibbs felt guilt slice through him for not helping Tony in time. Who knew what kind of damage he'd just done to the inside of his throat.

Before Gibbs could answer Tony started falling forward. Gibbs readjusted his grasp on his ailing friend, pulling Tony closer to him. He could feel Tony shaking under his hands and he knew Tony was going into shock. He knew his agent was in trouble.

_Where the hell are all the doctors, _Gibbs asked himself as more and more tremors wracked Tony's form.

"Boss?" Tony whispered, his breathing was harsh and pained. Whenever Tony inhaled it would stutter, almost like his lungs were fighting against the air.

"Uhnnn…" Tony's hand gripped Gibbs' so tight it nearly broke his fingers but there was no way Gibbs was going to make Tony let go. "Boss…uhn…help…" Gibbs heart skipped a beat. "Can't….breathe…."

That was it.

That was the last straw.

Gibbs knew Tony needed a doctor…yesterday.

Suddenly- a doctor rushed into the room, followed by McGee and Abby. Gibbs forgot they had been there; they must have woken up and ran out to get help.

"What happened here?" The doctor asked as he took in the scene in front of him, noting the tube lying forgotten across the bed.

"You tell me." Gibbs was seething, his agent-his friend was dying and all this doctor was doing was making accusations towards him. Like it was his fault his agent was in this predicament.

Gibbs moved out of the way so they could lay Tony back down. Tony tried to struggle to stay upright but Gibbs easily guided his shoulders down onto the mattress.

The doctor, whose ID badge said Dr. Robert Gilbert, took a penlight out of his coat pocket and began to shine it into Tony's eyes. He then started checking the IV lines and the heart monitor. Gibbs noticed Dr. Gilbert's eyes widen slightly before he pushed a button above Tony's head.

"This is Dr. Gilbert, we have a possible PE. I need some assistance in here." There was something in the doctor's voice that chilled Gibbs to his very core.

It almost sounded like panic.

"Mr. DiNozzo." Dr. Gilbert said looking down into Tony's eyes.

"T-Tony." Tony corrected.

"All right, Tony, are you experiencing severe chest pain?"

Tony nodded slowly.

"Did it appear suddenly or have you been feeling it for a while?"

"Sudden." Tony answered his breathe hitched and became more strangled, it was just getting more and more painful to breathe.

"All right, I think I know what's going on. It sounds like you just had a pulmonary embolism. It seems like you just threw a massive clot in your lungs."

"What the hell does that mean?" Gibbs asked, suddenly very, very afraid for his agent.

"It means we have to move fast but there is a very high chance you will recover fully from this little set back." Dr. Gilbert didn't want to mention that there was an even higher chance that Tony could throw another clot and that one could kill him, that is if this one didn't.

Two more doctors ran into the room. They unattached all of the cables from the various machines Tony was hooked to and attached the cables to portable versions of the same machines.

They were just taking off the brakes of the gurney when Tony made a choking noise and alarms started blaring.

"He's in full respiratory distress!" One of the doctors exclaimed.

"We need to intubate immediately but be careful. He recently pulled the tube out himself." The two other doctors looked at him quizzically.

Dr. Gilbert got behind the head of Tony's bed. He removed the pillow and one of the other doctors put it under Tony's feet.

Tony's eyes were wide and scared as the doctor positioned his head to slide the tube back in. Gibbs noticed the fear in his agent's green eyes and grabbed onto one of his hands. Abby noticed as well and held on tightly to the other.

Dr. Gilbert got the laryngoscope in place and couldn't believe how raw the man's throat was. It was apparent it would be very sore for a while but luckily there wasn't too much damage.

The doctor grabbed a tube and began inserting it into the agent. Tony groaned slightly when the tube slide in but became quiet again when he felt the hands holding his tighten.

The laryngoscope was removed and a bag was attached to the end of the tube. The bag was methodically squeezed as Tony was rushed from the room.

Gibbs, McGee, and Abby were left to stare at the empty place where Tony's gurney had once been.

Something caught Gibbs eye by the empty IV rack.

Gibbs walked over and picked up a small, empty syringe. It was not labeled and Gibbs didn't remember the doctors ever inserting something from a syringe into Tony's IV.

That could only mean one thing.

"Damn it!"

To Be Continued.

Another cliffhanger just for all of you awesome readers! I only do it because I love you guys! =D

Plus this one was needed to move the story line along.

You're all probably getting used to my cliffhangers by now anyway.

Please let me know what you thought!

Disclaimer: Just love to rub it in…don't ya?

Lots of love,

Tango


	12. Classic Whodunit

**Classic Whodunit**

Gibbs, McGee, and Abby were left to stare at the empty place where Tony's gurney had once been.

Something caught Gibbs eye by the empty IV rack.

Gibbs walked over and picked up a small, empty syringe. It was not labeled and Gibbs didn't remember the doctors ever inserting something from a syringe into Tony's IV.

That could only mean one thing.

"Damn it!" Gibbs seethed.

Somebody had come into the room, right under Gibbs' nose, poisoned Tony and then walked out without ever being noticed.

"What is it, boss?" McGee asked.

Gibbs' back was turned away from McGee and Abby so they couldn't see what he was holding. Gibbs averted his eyes from the mysterious syringe and began examining the floor, hoping to find some sort of evidence as to who had done this. If it was the last thing Gibbs ever did, he was going to find the person who caused more pain to his already suffering agent.

Finding nothing he lifted the syringe high enough so that McGee and Abby could see what he was holding. Abby gasped as her speedy brain quickly caught on to what the syringe meant.

"Abbs, I need you to go back to your lab and see if you can figure out what was in this." Gibbs said, turning to face the Goth, scratch that, scientist.

"Also see if there are any fingerpr…"

"Fingerprints on the outside of the syringe, tell me he's gonna be ok, Gibbs." Abby finished, her bright green eyes filling with tears. When there were too many for her eyes to contain they began spilling over causing two watery tracks to run down her face.

Gibbs reached over and gently grabbed one of her folded arms. He pulled her into a hug, the kind he used to give to Shannon and Kelly, but was now reserved exclusively for Abby.

"He'll be fine." Gibbs whispered into her black hair.

Surprisingly, Abby was the one to break off the hug. Her eyes were still shining but the tears were no longer running down her face.

"Then there is nothing that will keep this scientist away from her appointed rounds. I will not rest, I will not eat, I won't even stop for a Caf-Pow until I have found the person responsible for doing this to Tony and then I will crucify them!"

"Hurry, Abbs, they might actually need to know what was in there to help Tony."

"Of course." Abby said, she pulled pair of gloves from her pocket and slipped them on. Then she grabbed the syringe from Gibbs and rushed out of the door.

Gibbs shook his head ignoring the fact that Abby kept a pair of gloves in her pocket.

"McGee, I need you to stay with Ziva in case she wakes up. I'm gonna find out who's responsible for this." McGee nodded and Gibbs walked out the door.

McGee took up the seat by Ziva's bed. He wished he knew why this was happening to his family. Ziva was lying on a stiff bed in a coma, a coma she may never wake up from, and Tony was currently somewhere in the hospital fighting for his life after somebody tried to kill him for the second time in twenty-four hours.

McGee sighed as he sat back in the chair. His job for the moment was here, providing morale support to one of his teammates. He wanted to be part of the hunt for who had hurt Tony again, but he knew he had to stay. This was where he was needed and he wasn't going to leave as long as he knew at least one of his teammates was safe.

OoOoOoO

Gibbs was livid. He banged a fist on the reception desk for the ICU which startled the nurse sitting behind it in a comfortable looking rolling chair.

"Can I help you, sir?" The young girl asked when she looked up to find a very pissed off, gray-haired man standing in front of her.

"Where did they take my agent?" Gibbs asked, impatiently. He knew this terrified looking girl, who couldn't have been more than twenty-five, had nothing to do with what happened to his agent but he was still pissed.

"What's the name, sir?" She stuttered as she typed away at the computer in preparation for the name.

"Anthony DiNozzo."

"He's on the second floor, in X-Ray." The nurse said, but this time, something was wrong.

Gibbs could feel it in his gut.

OoOoOoO

McGee was still seated by Ziva when he heard a soft moan.

"Ziva?" McGee asked quietly as he sat up in the chair. He heard it again, a tiny indication of pain…and consciousness.

"Ziva!" McGee exclaimed enthusiastically as Ziva began to stir. "Can you hear me?" McGee asked, now leaning over his recently unconscious friend. He was rewarded with a sliver of brown and another groan as Ziva's eyes slowly opened.

"Wha…h'ppned?" Ziva asked weakly before her eyes suddenly slammed shut as her injuries finally caught up with her brain and the pain finally registered.

"Just hang on; I'll go get the doctor." McGee took off towards the door.

OoOoOoO

Gibbs didn't like the look that had taken residence in the young girl's eyes. He looked at her more closely and realized she look a lot like Ziva. He guessed she was probably from the Middle East- probably from Israel.

"I wouldn't worry about that, though, Agent Gibbs. You won't be going anywhere." Gibbs eyes widen in realization and he reached for the gun at his waist and drew it expertly, aiming the weapon directly at the girls head.

The girl, Gibbs now saw her name tag which read Netanya Dahan, simply smiled.

"I think you will find that gun to be rather useless, Agent Gibbs." Netanya said, but Gibbs was one step ahead of her. The gun felt lighter than it was supposed to which indicated there were no bullets. Gibbs lowered the gun and was about to put his Marine Corps training to good use but stopped in his tracks when she brought up from under the desk a Beretta Neos .22 and pointed it straight at Gibbs.

"I suggest you do as I say, and nobody will get hurt."

Gibbs wanted to believe her but the malicious smile on her face told him a completely different story.

They were screwed.

To Be Continued.

The plot thickens! Dun…Dun…Duuunnnn…. It's actually kind of funny, though, because I had a really hard time ending this chapter. Hope I did an ok job; please let me know what you thought! It's very much appreciated!

Disclaimer: I find these redundant and mean to tell you the truth. To constantly have to admit that you don't own something as awesome as NCIS. It's cruel and unusual punishment really! Hehe…


	13. The Walls Come Crashing Down

Ziva knew what it was like to be in an explosion.

Before she joined Gibbs' team at NCIS, Ziva had been on a mission for Mossad. She needed to get information on a Saudi Arabian terrorist named Hassan Gafar. She had been working with two other Mossad Officers who turned on her, claiming to be double agents working as spies for Gafar.

Ziva figured if Tony knew this story he would make several movie references, most likely James Bond or Magnum P.I. even though she honestly knew nothing of these characters.

Ziva was trying to get close enough to Gafar so he would trust her. It wasn't difficult; all her life Ziva constantly had to fend off the attention of older men. It proved to be an asset, however, when Eli David needed information from said older men.

Her two phony partners turned on her, purposely blowing her cover with Gafar. He knocked her unconscious and tied her to a pole, setting up a bomb in the room she was being held captive in.

She woke up with less than a minute on the clock, completely alone. Gafar must have thought she wouldn't be waking before the bomb went off because he used handcuffs.

She slipped out of them easily; the only problem was she had to dislocate both of her thumbs in the process. She only made it out into the hall before the blast wave hit.

That explosion felt similar to the one she was in with Gibbs in her apartment.

Another time was when she was undercover, after Vance broke up the team sending her back to Israel.

That time, however, she wasn't in another room when the explosion occurred; she was in the same room, up on stage, with no cover at all.

That particular incident made it all the way back to D.C. on the news, which every saw.

Each time she woke up in the hospital after an explosion it was exactly the same. There was always pain, bright lights, and confusion.

This time was no exception.

She desperately tried, and failed, to stifle moans of pain as she made her way out of the black void of unconsciousness and back into the land of the living.

She heard a familiar voice call her name…McGee, she realized.

Another soft groan of pain was elicited as she whole-heartedly tried to open her eyes.

She heard her name pronounced more excitedly and managed to crack her chocolate brown eyes open to tiny slivers.

Realizing she couldn't actually remember much of what happened she asked, "What happened?" It came out a lot weaker than she was hoping for.

Before McGee even had time to answer the question pain slammed through her body. She clamped her eyes shut against the onslaught of pain.

She heard McGee say, "Just hold on, I'll go get the doctor."

And then she was alone.

NCIS~NCIS~NCIS

McGee ran to the door when he saw his friend who was usually so strong in so much pain.

He reached the door and stopped, something wasn't right. He looked down the hall and saw Gibbs standing by the reception desk. He looked rigid and was holding a defensive posture. The whole situation screamed something was wrong.

McGee, out of instinct, reached down to his waist where his holster rested at all times while he was on duty. His hand went immediately to where the handle of the gun usually was for easy access.

He could feel the blood drain from his face when he realized the holster was completely empty, his weapon was gone.

McGee closed his eyes and tried not to panic, tried to come up with an alternate plan. It was times like these that he wished Tony or Ziva were there. Tony was great at coming up with impromptu solutions to these kinds of problems and Ziva was amazing at carrying out those plans.

McGee stealthily looked around the door frame. He couldn't tell what they were saying but now Gibbs had moved over enough so he could tell the women standing behind the desk was armed.

As McGee watched the women came around the desk, always keeping enough distance between herself and Gibbs so he couldn't disarm her.

It was obvious she knew what she was doing.

McGee saw Gibbs turn around, so he was facing the door he was currently standing in. The women jabbed the gun in his back and Gibbs started towards the room.

McGee backed away, positioning himself behind the door so when Gibbs and the mysterious, armed women who looked a lot like Ziva, McGee realized, came through it they wouldn't see him.

McGee began to count, when he got to twenty-two seconds Gibbs and the mysterious women walked through the door.

NCIS~NCIS~NCIS

Dr. Martinez was checking the vitals of one of his patients. She was a woman who had come in with a severe collapsed lung and no trauma to explain it.

They had been able to fix the collapsed lung but not before she slipped into a coma, another mystery.

That was why he became a doctor. There were so many amazing things the human body could do, and then there were some very intriguing and sometimes disturbing things it could do for no obvious reason.

Like one of his first cases; he'd only been working at the hospital for a few weeks when a young man came in with severe rash covering almost 75% of his body. They never found out what caused the rash, it just went away by itself after the man spent nearly three weeks in a hospital bed.

Dr. Martinez had just finished writing a new morphine dosage when his pager went off.

He looked down at the little screen only to discover his patient, the federal agent with the stab wounds, had taken a turn for the worse and was now in X-Ray.

"What have we got?" Dr. Martinez asked the doctor who was filling in for him.

"Sudden onset chest pain, yanked the vent tube out himself, he still had trouble breathing so we intubated him again and then took him down here. X-Ray indicates PE, he's at high risk for throwing another clot so I think we should start him on Thrombolytics."

"I don't think that's a good idea. He just went through major surgery. Thrombolytics could cause him to bleed out."

"If he throws another clot he'll go into PEA. He has a much better chance of surviving some post-op bleeding then he does another clot in his lung, they're damaged from the plague you know."

Something didn't seem right with that, how would this doctor, who'd never read his chart; know about his patient contracting the plague.

"I think we should do a Vein Filter, the procedure is simple and he'll run a smaller risk of another clot and bleeding."

The other doctor, whom Dr. Martinez realized he'd never seen before, sighed.

"You couldn't have done this the easy way, could you?" With that, he pulled out McGee's gun and pointed it at Dr. Martinez's forehead.

NCIS~NCIS~NCIS

Gibbs felt the gun jab into his back again as he was lead over to Ziva's bed.

Ziva had her eyes shut but it was obvious she was conscious and in pain, he hadn't seen McGee since entering the room.

"I know you're back there, Agent McGee, so you might want to come out. Unless you want me to dirty Ms. David here's sheets with your boss's brain spatter?"

McGee closed his eyes in defeat.

So much for the element of surprise, McGee thought as he came out from behind the door.

Gibbs had been watching Ziva's face when Netanya spoke; he couldn't recognize the look.

Ziva's eyes cracked open again, all pain forgotten.

She started at the woman holding the gun to Gibbs' back.

"Tali?"

**To Be Continued!**

**Sorry for the evil cliffhanger and confusing chapter. I also apologize for the inconsistency between updates. It seems like I spend more time waiting for my muse than I do writing. I just don't want to give all of you awesome people crap just to post something. I'd rather wait until I can at least give you something half way decent. Not that what I right is half way decent, I'd say more like one-eighth decent…one-sixteenth…I don't know, I'm rambling. I tend to do that a lot! Hehe…**

**Anyway, thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Please keep it up, it really helps my self-esteem when it comes to this stuff…writing…so much fun but really nerve wracking! =D**

**Disclaimer: How many times do I have to say it? I don't own NCIS, Tony, Gibbs, Ziva, McGee, Abby, Ducky, Palmer, Vance (thank CAS!), a ferret…**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	14. Author's Note

Author's Note:

I just wanted to apologize for my lack of updates for this story. I've lost my muse for it entirely. However, I swore to myself that I would never leave a story unfinished. That means I need your help.

I know that when I am reading a multi-chapter story, I always have ways in which I hope the story will go; more whump, angst, relationships, dialogue, story development, etc. Pretty much what I am asking is for you to tell me where you wanted this story to go either in a review or PM. Then, I will pick the ones that I liked the best and write it for you!

Again, I apologize for my lack of inspiration for this story, and thank you for being so patient!

~Tango


	15. The Shape of Things

A quick look at the women who Ziva had just called her dead sister, Tali, proved she had been mistaken.

Dahan looked at Ziva, a confused look on her face, but Ziva was unconscious again.

"What is she talking about?" She asked Gibbs.

"She has a concussion; she thinks you're her sister."

Dahan scoffed.

"What do you want?" Gibbs asked every word dripping with malice.

"I want vengeance." Dahan screamed, her aim never wavering from Gibbs' back. "Your agent, DiNozzo was it, killed a Mossad Officer."

"Word travels fast." Gibbs replied. "However, I can't let you hurt my agents. I'm going to give you one chance to tell me what you gave my agent."

"You do not have a leg to stand on, Agent Gibbs. Who has the gun, here?"

"That's a good point." Gibbs said, "But now you're underestimating you opponent."

"Am I?" Dahan asked.

Gibbs didn't answer, instead he spun around, his arms grabbing onto smaller ones pushing the gun away from this back, and the gun went off.

"GIBBS!" McGee shouted as Gibbs stumbled after the gunshot.

Gibbs fist was a blur as it slammed into the Israeli women's nose. Netanya staggered backwards as the blood began to gush from the broken cartilage.

McGee rushed forward to assist in the altercation. He tackled Dahan, they fell into the spot that Tony's bed had been moved from. McGee was on top of her and grabbed a fist full of brown hair. He slammed her head into the tan linoleum. She let out a grunt of pain before falling into unconsciousness.

McGee looked up from the women and noticed that Gibbs was holding his side.

"Boss, are you okay?" McGee asked, standing up.

"Yeah, just a graze," Gibbs replied. Gibbs pulled his hand away and McGee realized he was right, it was just a graze but it was deep and bleeding.

"We have to find DiNozzo." Gibbs said and started walking towards the door. He stopped when he saw Tony's gurney being brought into the room.

Dr. Martinez was on the right side and Dr. Gilbert was on the left. However, Dr. Gilbert was pointing a gun at Dr. Martinez.

"Move her" Dr. Gilbert told Gibbs and McGee. When neither man moved the gun was moved so that it was pointing at McGee's head.

"Now!"

Gibbs and McGee went over to the down Mossad Officer and dragged her across the floor so she was out of the bed space. The doctors moved Tony's gurney back into position. Dr. Martinez reattached the wires and tubes to the agent's body, including the one that led to the ventilator. This time, though, he put soft restraints around his wrists and attached those to the rails. That way if Tony woke up he wouldn't be able to rip out the breathing tube again.

Dr. Gilbert flicked the hand that was holding the gun in the direction of Gibbs and McGee. Dr. Martinez moved over to stand beside the two men.

"I'm sorry," He whispered to the lead agent.

Gibbs looked around the room. This situation had really taken a turn for the worse. Tony was seriously injured, probably very close to death and Ziva was unconscious with a severe enough head wound to have made her believe that she had seen her dead sister. Gibbs had his own minor injuries from the explosion and now he had a bleeding graze to deal with. McGee seemed fine but had just knocked out a pissed off Mossad Officer. Gibbs wasn't excited to find out how she was going to react when she woke up. Tony's doctor was currently being held hostage right along with them by another armed psychopath doctor. At least Abby was safe and sound in her lab and Ducky had gone home the night before and then went back to the morgue at NCIS that morning, so they were both safe. Now, the doctor who'd saved Tony's life felt guilty about the whole messed up situation which was clearly not his fault.

"Who are you?" Gibbs asked the armed man.

"I'm an undercover Mossad Officer. We were sent here three months ago; since I am a doctor and she had to stay close we got jobs here."

"Robert Gilbert doesn't sound like an Israeli name." Gibbs said.

"My parents were American; I've lived in Israel since I was a child. I haven't been back since, at least, until now."

"So how did you become involved with NCIS and Rivkin?"

"Mossad has eyes everywhere, watching everything you and the rest of your team do. They have since Officer David became a Liaison and started working with you. Rivkin's death was witness and reported back to Director David. He called us with your information and told us to kill Agent DiNozzo. Director David does not like it when Mossad Officers are killed by American agents, Agent Gibbs."

"Agent DiNozzo wasn't the one to kill Rivkin, Ziva pulled the trigger."

"True, but Agent DiNozzo weakened him, made him more susceptible to an attack from behind."

"In other words, Director David wouldn't make you go after his daughter so he told you to kill Tony, the next best thing."

"How do you know that Miss David is not our second target?"

Gibbs finally understood. Director David was a bastard; he found out that Rivkin was killed from a spy he planted on his own daughter. Then, when he found out Tony and Ziva were injured and in the hospital he contacted two undercover Mossad Officers to take them both out.

"Why are you telling us all of this?" Gibbs asked.

"Because I don't think any of you will live long enough to stop me from doing what I have to." Dr. Gilbert said before aiming his gun and firing.

To Be Continued.

What did you think? I hope this chapter made sense and wasn't terrible… I am so sorry about the wait, but I think I know where this story is headed now! Thank you so much for all of the encouragement, it really means a lot!

Please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS.


	16. Guilt In Her Heart

**Chapter Fifteen: Guilty In Her Heart**

Gilbert pointed his gun at the prone Tony on the hospital bed.

Gibbs and McGee were in motion before he could pull the trigger. They were able to get on either side of the doctor and tackle him to the floor. His finger tightened around the trigger but in his descent the bullet went wide, hitting Tony's IV bag full of blood, red liquid cascaded down the IV pole splashing to the floor like a crimson waterfall.

Gibbs jumped up and pulled the IV lead out of Tony's arm, he didn't want any air bubbles getting into Tony's system. That would be an instant killer.

McGee had Dr. Gilbert's hands behind his back; the gun had been kicked away so it was resting by Ziva's gurney. Ziva must have woken up when the gun went off because she was standing by her bed, holding onto the rails with her right arm which was the one with the cast on it, she was leaning down. When she had the gun in her hand she straightened again aiming the weapon at Dr. Gilbert.

McGee had his handcuffs out but was having trouble holding down the now struggling man. Gibbs walked over and mirrored McGee's previous move by slamming his head into the ground; once limp McGee was able to get the man handcuffed.

"You will never get away with this." Dahan said in a weak voice.

Three heads turned to look at her. She was standing where she had been dragged. She was swaying dangerously; the whole left side of her face covered in blood. She was holding a knife in her hand. As soon as she started advancing she dropped as two bullets went straight through her chest and into her heart.

Ziva collapsed with the gun she had just used to kill the women she still believed to be her sister. A sob escaped her as she brought her knees up to her chest.

Gibbs went over to Ziva while McGee checked that the woman was really dead. After pressing two fingers into her neck it was confirmed, Netanya Dahan was dead.

Gibbs pulled Ziva to his chest in a strong hug.

"Ziver, it wasn't her, it wasn't you sister." Gibbs tried to comfort the distraught Mossad Officer.

"I killed them, Gibbs, Ari and now Tali." Ziva cried. Ziva wasn't usually a crier, especially not with other people around, but Gibbs assumed it was probably a combination of morphine, concussion, trauma of the last 24 hours, guilt and confusion over seeing a dead sibling and then killing her, even if it wasn't really her.

"DAVID, it was NOT your sister! You DID NOT kill your sister!" Gibbs shouted, cupping Ziva's face between his hands. Something must have clicked in Ziva's concussed brain because her eyes changed from grief to confusion. Her gaze trailed back to rest on the dead women.

"That is not Tali?" Ziva asked, looking back at Gibbs.

"Not Tali," Gibbs confirmed; his tone more comforting than gruff.

"Tony?" She asked, her eyes trying to see the agent from her place on the floor.

"He's not doing too well; they gave him something in his IV. Abby will find out what it is any minute now and we'll be able to help him."

"This is my fault, Gibbs; Tony would not be hurt if I had not trusted Rivkin so blindly. I should have known he was using me."

"This is not your fault; none of it."

"Can I see him?" Ziva asked, Gibbs stood and then grabbed onto her right arm carefully pulling her into a standing position.

With Gibbs still holding onto her arm she was able to make the three steps to Tony's bed without too much dizziness. When she looked down at Tony tears filled her eyes again. Tony looked so still, so frail, he looked near death. His face was paler than the white sheets; he had dark rings around his eyes.

Gibbs cell phone rang and after the second ring he answered.

"Gibbs."

"Whoa, what happened?" Abby asked, concern lacing her words. "Your voice sounds weird."

"Not now Abbs," Gibbs said, shaking his head. "Everything is fine, what've you got?"

"I know what was in the vial!" Abby said excitedly.

"Don't have all day here, Abbs."

"Right, well, they gave him an injection of the hormone desmopressin. It's usually used in the treatment of mild hemophilia A. It releases more clotting factors into the blood, usually to stop bleeding. Also, the fingerprints are from Dr. Robert Gilbert. He works at the hospital Gibbs, be careful."

"Thanks Abby." Gibbs said into the phone before closing the device. He looked across the bed to Dr. Martinez who was checking Tony over for more damage.

"They gave him desmopressin." Gibbs informed the doctor.

"Yes, that will do it." Dr. Gilbert said. "That's used for treatment of Hemophilia; that's when the blood doesn't clot normally. DDAVP releases clotting factors into the blood. Since Tony doesn't have Hemophilia his blood clotted too much, which caused the blood clot resulting in a pulmonary embolism. The best treatment has already been administered, thank God. When we treated him for PE, we gave him thrombolytic because it thins the blood. In a few days, he should be fine and there will be no lasting effects."

Gibbs sighed in relief; at least things seemed to be moving in the right direction.

To Be Continued.

Please review!

Disclaimer: See pretty much any chapter from any of my other NCIS stories, including this one…


	17. Forget Your Troubles, Come On, Get Happy

**Chapter Sixteen: Forget Your Troubles, Come On, Get Happy**

Gibbs was sitting on a hospital bed getting stitched up.

The bullet had only grazed him on his left side, a few inches down from his ribs. After twelve neat little stitches, Dr. Martinez put a sterile square of gauze over the wound, securing it in place with medical tape.

"You're all set, Agent Gibbs." The doctor told him, "You're lucky, this could have been a lot worse."

Gibbs knew it was true, he was lucky, McGee too. Tony was the one who had taken the brunt of this whole situation along with Ziva.

Gibbs got off the gurney and pulled on his shirt. He winces slightly as the movement pulled on his side.

On the way back to ICU-07, he met McGee coming towards him.

"Boss, Tony's waking up."

Gibbs rushed into the room with McGee right behind him. Dr. Martinez had gotten there first and was standing at the head of Tony's bed; he was shining a penlight in Tony's eyes.

"Agent DiNozzo, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand." Tony must have complied because Dr. Martinez looked relieved.

"Good, now, can you open your eyes for me?" Gibbs walked closer. Tony was obviously struggling hard to obey the request.

Gibbs noticed that the room had been cleaned of the mess when he was getting stitched up. Now, the floor was clear of all blood. The dead woman was gone, and the suspect had been taken into custody.

Finally, after a little bit more coercing, Tony eyes fluttered open.

"Agent DiNozzo, you're on a…" The doctor was cut off when Tony grunted around the ventilator tube.

"He wants you to call him Tony." Gibbs said for his mute agent. Tony nodded.

"All right, Tony, you have a tube down your throat that's helping you breathe. The reason you can't move your arms is because we don't want you to pull it out again so you are in soft restraints." Tony just rolled his eyes.

Tony shifted his gaze over to Gibbs; he could see the pain in those eyes and knew what Tony wanted to ask but couldn't.

"Can you take the tube out, now?" Gibbs asked.

"No, I'm sorry Tony, but your lungs need to rest and the only way to let them is to let the machine do the work. What I need you to do is try to relax and breathe with the machine, do not try to fight it."

Tony closed his eyes and concentrated, soon his breathing matched the ventilator perfectly.

"That's it, just keep it up and you'll be breathing on your own in no time." Tony nodded again.

When he noticed Ziva he turned his head slightly and smiled around the tube in his mouth. Ziva smiled back but it didn't reach her eyes. She still felt so guilty over everything that had happened.

Dr. Martinez checked everything one more time before turning to Gibbs.

"Can I speak to you outside?" Gibbs nodded and followed the doctor out of the room.

McGee came out with them and informed the two men that he was going to go to the cafeteria to try and find some coffee.

Once he was gone the doctor began, "Agent Gibbs, as you know Tony has many injuries. He's awake, and that's a good thing, but his blood pressure is still low and his heart beat is sluggish. I didn't want to say this in front of him but he's solely relying on the ventilator to breathe right now. He's on the road to recovery, but I have to warn you, he's still not completely out of the woods. Not by a long shot."

"Doctor, Tony survived the Pneumonic Plague with a fifteen percent chance of recovery. If anyone can survive what Tony has gone through it would be him. I don't doubt for a second that he has a long road ahead of him and he's probably going to have to deal with a lot of pain, but we're his team and we will be there for him every step of the way. I know Tony will be all right, and we have you to thank for that."

"I don't know about that," Dr. Martinez said, "But I trust you, I believe Tony will be just fine. He's lucky to have such a good family."

With that Dr. Martinez's pager went off. "I have another patient to attend to, but if you need anything, just call." Gibbs nodded and went back into Tony and Ziva's room.

**ONE WEEK LATER**

"DiNozzo, you've been off the ventilator for three days. You almost died. You cannot go home yet." Gibbs informed his stir crazy, yet still healing, agent.

"I feel fine." Tony said dejectedly.

"You're not fine, DiNozzo, not yet. Give your body time to heal."

"Then why does Ziva get to be discharged?" Tony whined.

"She let her body heal without rushing it." Gibbs stated, matter-of-factly.

Gibbs left the room, leaving behind a sulking senior field agent. Tony had been trying to talk them into discharging him for two and a half days now. On the second day, Tony had signed himself out AMA while Gibbs was getting coffee, or what they tried to pass for coffee, and Dr. Martinez was busy with a coding patient. He didn't make it that far, though; Gibbs found him passed out in the elevator in a puddle of blood after ripping his stitches. That little stunt had given him three more days in a hospital bed, on top of the remaining week he had to stay.

Gibbs walked to the counter to stand next to Ziva who was filling out the necessary paperwork to be discharged. When she was done she turned to Gibbs.

"I am going back to Mossad." She informed Gibbs. "I already made the necessary arrangements; my flight to Tel Aviv leaves in five hours."

Gibbs didn't know what to say so he just stayed quiet, letting her talk.

"It is obvious my father does not want me here. I have put you all, especially Tony, in danger. I've talked to Director Vance and he has agreed to send me back. Please tell Tony I am sorry, for everything."

"This is a mistake, Ziva, he needs you here. We all do." Gibbs said.

"No, things will be better if I am not here. I am sorry, Gibbs."

And with that, she was gone.

THE END

This is actually not a cliffhanger; this is just how I think she would have gone back if things had worked out this way instead of how they worked out in the show.

Thank you all so much for your patients and kind words. I would have never gotten through this story if it hadn't been for all of you.

Please review and let me know what you thought!

Disclaimer: I have not, in any way, profited from the story and all creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator.


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